Wow. Let's thank God for the power of this simple act, giving. Lord's Supper: The Blood of Jesus is Powerful! - so powerful that it ...
But this cleansing does not happen automatically.
Therefore, the cleansing must happen only when we meet certain conditions set forth by God. (As with the blood of the Passover lamb, the blood must be "applied.")
After baptism, His blood continues to cleanse us as we meet further conditions:
We celebrate His promise of cleansing and this spiritual fellowship with our Lord in the Lord's Supper. |
When we assemble, we sing and preach and pray, according to the New Testament pattern. We also have New Testament teaching and examples, though, showing that we can do these activities - sing and preach and pray - at home, too. In a similar way, the New Testament shows that we can - and should! - be using our resources, including spending our money, for preaching and building up the saints, and helping any needy, as we have opportunity. I would even say that that's basic Christianity!
This is now a time - the first day of the week - when we take up a collection. We pool our resources and share in some of the work God has given the church. That's fellowship, joint participation, sharing, "togetherness."
Our collection mirrors what we do at home - The collected monies support preaching, building up the saints, and meeting people's basic, physical needs. As I understand, the only difference is that our collective funds have a more focused and restricted use, helping needy Christians.
I'm so thankful for the opportunity to do this together. I'm thankful that God has blessed us so abundantly, not only with our amazing physical riches, but especially with the unity with other saints who are rich in faith and who share a priority for using our money to further God's kingdom. I'm thankful for this time and for this work together.
Lord's Supper: Together
From the beginning of the church, about 6 weeks after Jesus was raised from the dead, Jesus' followers "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:42 In fact, for a time, they "continued daily with one accord in the temple" (NKJV, which has a different connotation than in the ESV, "attending the temple together") and they ate their meals from house to house. (v. 46)
On the Lord's day, we enjoy a special, a spiritual, breaking of bread. As Jesus instituted His Supper, He said, "I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.” (Matthew 26:29) We commune with the Lord every time we break this bread and drink this juice. We are together with the Lord in this activity. Besides that, we are together with each other. And so this is one aspect of our worship that we cannot do alone.
1 Cor 11-14 is all about "together activities." "When you come together" ... as a church... to eat... referring to the Lord's Supper 11:17,18,20,33,34, (also 14:23,26).
The same idea is in Acts 20:7 "On the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread" (Note, though, that "the disciples" are not mentioned, and so the pronouns are less clear, in the ESV.)
We who believe in the saving power of death of the Lord... are in this together. We who have been buried with Him through baptism into His death... We who examine ourselves now and ask God to show us the error of our ways... we who confess our sins to the Lord and to each other ... We who repent of our sins and pray for forgiveness. We who share in the hope of His resurrection are in this together.
This is fellowship, communion, with each other and with the Lord, as in 1 John 1:3-4, "that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full."
The churches of Macedonia, 3 . gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints-- 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. (2 Cor. 8:5)
We need to remember that our giving is "by the will of God." We give ourselves first to the Lord and then to His people. As needs are identified, we are asked to give. Do we shrink back, or do we beg earnestly for the favor of taking part in this work? Which, do you think, is God's will concerning your giving?
Lord's Supper: By the Will of God
It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure." 7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" (Hebrews 10:4-7)
Jesus taught people how to live and please God, performed miracles by God's help, in short, "went about doing good." (Acts 10:38) But we see the core purpose of His mission toward the end of His (earthly) ministry "w hen the days drew near for him to be taken up, (and) He set his face to go to Jerusalem." He said three times things such as,
"See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."(Matthew 20:18-19)
Jesus was born to die for us, according to the will of God.
(Continuing back in Hebrews) 6 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God .. 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
For those of you who have been buried with Christ through baptism into death, please meditate on the sacrifices that Jesus made in order to do God's will and to make possible the taking away of our sins.
If you have haven't died with Christ in baptism, please meditate about your soul's condition and the will of God in your life while we take the Lord's Supper.
In one of the strongest passages about a person's dual nature - physical and spiritual - the apostle Paul says,
"We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-18)
He reminds us to walk by faith rather than by sight and to always make it our aim to please God, "for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." (2 Cor. 5:10) Notice, a spiritual judgment based on physical behavior.
Focusing on "unseen" things will affect how we look at others: "From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh." (v. 16) and how we teach others (vv. 11, 18-20), and I would submit that it affects how we spend our time and even our money.
We have physical blessings which we share with others, for the preaching and teaching of the gospel and for helping needy Christians. We identify the needs, from preacher support to feeding hungry Christians in Zimbabwe , and we give . money. But what we do in this physical act echoes in the heavens. It gives great encouragement to the souls of the people who receive it - they see that we share a common faith and love them in Christ and will not abandon them! - and God notices and judges according to what we have "purposed in [our] hearts." (2 Cor. 9:7)Lord's Supper: Physical and Spiritual
In the Lord's Supper, we take simple, physical items - crackers and juice - and we eat and drink. The items remind us of what happened in this physical world - that Jesus was crucified and died on the cross. But we remember more than that! The bread, representing Christ's body, is unleavened, as was the bread used during Passover, and symbolizes the purity of Christ. (Exodus 12:8; 1 Cor. 5:6-8) Perhaps the unfermented juice, representing His blood, also symbolizes His purity. We meditate on the fact that, through that physical suffering, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and satisfied the Creator of the universe by one sacrifice for sin, for all people, for all time.
So, what He did on the cross echoed in the heavens, and what we do in this physical act echoes in the heavens, as well! It unites us in purpose and strengthens the fellowship we have with each other and with Jesus Christ. And while some may "eat and drink condemnation" to themselves (1 Cor. 11:27 -34), we remember the Lord's body and blood and we take those elements in, as a reminder of our responsibility to become like Him.May God bless each of us as we eat and drink.
My grandmother's eulogy described her, in part, as "frugal with herself, generous with others." What about us?
Our fellow Christians are worth ALL THAT WE HAVE!
All who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. Acts 2:44-45 (Also Acts 4:34 -35)
The gospel is worth ALL THAT WE HAVE!
Remember the merchant? "The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46
The gospel is worth all that we have, so, the spread of that gospel is worth ALL THAT WE HAVE! What will you give to help it spread?
There are men who, like Paul, say, "As much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel." (Romans 1:15)
and
I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. (2 Corinthians 12:15)
When we support a preacher to buy medicine or put food on his table or buy a computer so he can print tracts to distribute, we have "fellowship in the gospel." (Philippians 1:5)
As we take up a collection (only expected from the members, not the visitors), we should ask ourselves, "Just how beautiful ARE the feet of those who preach the gospel?" (Romans 10:15)
And know that, when we sell possessions - or, at the very least, avoid obtaining certain possessions, which is what we've come to, in our rich culture - we will be able to think of ourselves "as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." ( 2 Corinthians 6:10)
Lord's Supper: Spend and Be Spent
Think about that phrase, "I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls" (2 Corinthians 12:15) and apply it to what Jesus did.
In His Life:
"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Matthew 8:20)
In His Death:
He left the Father, with all His riches. Came down from heaven and gave His life-blood to make the vilest sinner clean. He gave His life-blood for even me. (What a Savior, v. 2 and Refrain)
Out of the ivory palaces, into a world of woe, only His great eternal love made my Savior go. (Ivory Palaces, Refrain)
He spent.
You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
He was spent.
He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12
For 19 years, now, I've received an annual phone call from Univ. of TX at Austin asking for money.
Why UT can never get any money from me:
Even though, I...
- moved there from AR,
- spent 2 ½ years there,
- worked on campus,
- attended classes 5 days/wk, and
- graduated with a Master's Degree,
I did NOT...
- share many of my teachers' or fellow students' values and beliefs
- see myself as a Longhorn
- think they were giving me an identity (rather, simply a career), so I did NOT
- commit myself to their Ph.D. program.
In other words, I did not give myself fully to them.
As we take up this collection, ask yourself whether you have, as the example of the Galatians, "first [given yourself] to the Lord, and then to [His people]." (2 Cor. 8:5)
If you feel pestered when this collection comes around, maybe it's because you haven't fully committed. God wants you, to make a whole-hearted commitment, not to this treasury or even to the work of this church, but rather to Him.Lord's Supper: Give Yourself Fully
Perhaps I would've given myself fully to UT Austin (University of Texas at Austin) if they had done more for me.
Even though they waived my out-of-state tuition (huge in TX!), and conferred on me a degree, they did not sacrifice for me.
- Did not seek me out (even with letters).
- Did not help me move.
- Did not change me. (I resisted the character influences.)
- Give me life (rather, knowledge and skills).
- And they did not know me.
I don't even know what organization they have. I never met their President. (Chancellor? I don't even know, and they may have changed since I left.)
Jesus, on the other hand,
- Left glory/Came here
- Lived sinlessly
- Allowed Himself to be tortured
- Gave His life blood
- Made Himself known to us
- Called each of us through the gospel, and
- Knows the number of hairs on our heads and the thoughts of our hearts before they leave out lips.
Hopefully that's enough to motivate you to give yourself fully to Him, seeing that He gave Himself fully for us.
As we come to this collection, I wonder how it is that we have money to spare, to give today.
Ideas of the world for this offering include the "skip-a-meal" fund-raiser method, which is suggested on "EHow.com" for generating a building fund. Similarly, the Mormon church promotes the (man-made) idea of a "fast offering" which they define as
"A donation given by members to benefit the needy. Funds collected by branches and wards, which are not needed by them, are sent into the general Church fund. The contribution generally consists of money saved by fasting for two consecutive meals. " - http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-commandments/live-the-law-of-tithing#x
I'm not suggesting that these methods are found in the Bible, but I want us to notice how their long-term priorities translate into daily choices. A simple example - that I can support! - comes from a housekeeper who was invited by her co-workers to go shopping. She declined, explaining, "I need my water and my lights and a place to stay." Her monthly priorities have translated into daily choices.
We have long-term priorities , as did Christians in the first century. They were taught, "On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside , storing up as he may prosper.." (1 Cor. 16:2) That will involve some daily choices. 2 Cor. 9:6-7 says, "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart .."
In order for us to enjoy bountiful reaping, our giving requires some planning. I'm not telling you how to save your money, but I hope we don't give simply whatever happens to be in our pocket on Sunday after a big spending spree Saturday night. God expects more than left-overs. Our weekly priorities in giving - which include the monthly priorities of "water and lights and a place to stay" for preachers and needy brethren (James 2:15), as well as the longer-term needs for edifying the saints and spreading the gospel - translate into daily choices.
May we choose well, and give as we have purposed in our hearts.Lord's Supper: Daily Choices
From eternity the plan was made, and it was "written in the volume of the Book: I have come to do Your will, O God." (Hebrews 10:7) Jesus' eternal priorities translated into daily choices.At 12 years old, He said, "I must be about My Father's business." (Luke 3:42, 49)
After His baptism, He made daily choices while preparing to be tempted in the wilderness. (Matthew 4)
He made daily choices throughout His earthly ministry. (Luke 19:47 ; 22:53 )
He made daily choices when He set His face to go to Jerusalem , knowing in perfect detail the suffering that was awaiting Him. (Luke 9:51-53; Matthew 16:21)
His long-term goal kept Him going. "For the joy that was set before Him [He] endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:2)
We have a long-term goal of being welcomed into the very presence of God. We need endurance (Hebrews 10:36) for making our daily choices.
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "TODAY," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.. (Hebrews 3:12-14)
Let's consider Jesus' daily choices - and ours! - as we become "partakers of Christ" in the Lord's Supper at this time.
Have you ever spent time – maybe a lot of time – on a big project, say, at work, or around the house, only to get to the end and discover you can't finish it the way it was started or it simply fails. You have to scrap everything you've done. Your time and effort were wasted. “Vanity of vanity. All is vanity.”
The Bible speaks about several vain (“empty,” “pointless”) things:
- The plots and schemes of Jesus' enemies. Psalm 2; Acts 4:25 “Why do the Gentiles rage, and the people plot in vain?”
- The worship of idolaters. Acts 14:15 “We bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.”
- The worship of people whose hearts are not sincere. Matt 15:9; Mark 7:7 “In vain do they worship Me….”We want our actions to count; we want our worship to count. When it comes to giving, we want our money to count. (Maybe the only thing worse than wasting our time and effort is throwing away our money!) This church is very careful to use the money in the treasury in ways that, in the first place, fit with the New Testament pattern, and secondly, in ways that it will do the most good. Preaching (our local preacher, gospel meetings, preaching trips); edification (this building; class materials; new classroom construction); and benevolence (needy Christians here locally; one-time needs in NY, South Africa, Zimbabwe)
So, please know that your money will not be spent in vain. And now, may our hearts be sincere, may we give as we have been prospered, and may we keep our vows, giving as we have purposed in our hearts so that our giving will not be in vain.
Lord's Supper: Not in Vain
Another vain thing: All our effort and sacrifices to bring others to Christ if they quit or leave the path (Gal. 3:4; 4:11; Phil. 2:6; 1 Thess. 3:5).
But it’s worse than that. Not only are our time and effort wasted, God’s grace is given in vain toward people who quit.
1 Corinthians 15:1 I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
Imagine if Christ had died, but nobody cared and no one ever obeyed the gospel. His leaving heaven would’ve been pointless. His virgin birth meaningless. His disadvantaged life only so much discomfort. His being ridiculed and tortured and even His death would’ve been for nothing. It would’ve all been in vain.
That’s about the same as when people start out following Christ, but turn back. Paul didn’t turn back!
1 Corinthians 15:10 By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
The Lord’s Supper is a time for self-examination. (1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5) If you haven’t obeyed the gospel, do so today. If you have, may you strengthen your commitment to Christ so that His grace – His death! – may not be in vain in you.
The rainbow is an everlasting symbol to remind us that God keeps His promises. Here are some promises He has made:
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. -- Matthew 6:31-33
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:
“He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” -- 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
Lord's Supper: Rainbow
The Bible does not refer to the Lord's Supper as a "sign." But consider this comparison:
The rainbow is God's sign, reminding us of the terrible price of sin and a lasting covenant between God and the earth, with a promise to never bring another world-wide flood.
The Lord's Supper reminds us of the terrible price of sin, and of the new and "everlasting" (Heb. 13:20) covenant made between God and believers who have been baptized into Christ, with a promise to never require another payment for sin.
God once asked Moses, "What is that in your hand?" (Ex. 4:2) The answer in that case was "a staff."
With a shepherd's stick, Moses and Aaron did great things: When Pharaoh asked them to prove themselves by working a miracle, they changed a staff into a serpent - which swallowed up the serpents of the Egyptian magicians - and back to a staff again. (Ex. 7) They turned the waters of Egypt to blood. (Ex. 7) They summoned the plagues of frogs and gnats (Ex. 8) and of hail (Ex. 9) and locusts. (Ex. 10) And as if turning the Nile River to blood weren't enough, Moses parted the Red Sea with that staff! (Ex. 14) When the Israelites grumbled and tested the Lord saying, "Is the Lord among us, or not?" Moses struck a boulder in the Arabian desert and water gushed out to give life to millions of people and their livestock. (Ex. 17) In that same chapter, Moses also held that staff high to give Israel military victory over Amalek.
Exodus 4:20, however, points to the power behind all those signs and wonders. When Moses was returning to the Egypt from his self-imposed exile, he "took the staff of God in his hand."
God can take over the small things in our hands and with them do great things. As we're taking this collection, I ask you, "What is that in your hand?" Dedicate it to God willingly and give it today cheerfully. We will see poor Christians' hunger satisfied, a preacher purchase a car so he can keep preaching and establishing and strengthening churches in the African boondocks, preachers pay medical bills for themselves and their wives, and we will pay off our debt on this building - which is a wonderful tool for our assembling and teaching - and go on to do much more!
Lord's Supper: What Is That In Your Hand?
As we now take the Lord's Supper, I ask again, "What is that in your hand?" To be clear, in your hand will simply be unleavened bread and grape juice ("the fruit of the vine"). But consider their significance:
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? ... 20 I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? - 1 Cor. 10:14-22 (ESV)
Those simple things, dedicated to God and taken reverently, accomplish such greatness. They remind us of our Savior and of His ultimate sacrifice of His body and blood. They remind us of who we claim to be, His followers. They call us to holiness, to separation from worldly and sinful things. The call us to repentance and to higher and purer service.
When you pick up the bread and pick up the juice, know that you are not worthy to do so, any more than Moses was worthy to pick up the staff of God. But if we remain humble as Moses did, and allow God to use us in His service, God will do great things through the small things in your hand.
If you’re about to put something in the collection plate, ask yourself, “Where did I get this?”
The Israelites at Mount Sinai - at least everyone whose “spirit was stirred, whose spirit was willing” - donated very generously for the “for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments”: precious metals, fancy threads and cloth, etc., etc. (Exodus 35) Did you ever ask yourself, “Where did they get those things”? The Israelites had been slaves for at least 80 years serving with harsh manual labor. (Exodus 1 — 4; Acts 7:29, 30)
Before Moses even went to fetch the Israelites from Egypt, God promised,
Exodus 3:21 I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor … articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
Then, right before the 10th plague was unleashed, God gave those very instructions to both men and women (Exodus 11:2-3), and the Israelites did as instructed. (Exodus 12:35-36) Egypt had reached the pinnacle of societal development, in some ways surpassing even our modern culture, and was likely the richest nation on the planet. The Israelites plundered them!
So there’s a sense in which God had been blessing the Egyptians in order to give all that stuff to the Israelites a couple of generations later! Then, in a rare show of selflessness and godliness, the Israelites, rather than being prideful and covetous and trying to hoard those things, gave them “back” to the Lord.
We Americans are on top of the world, materially speaking. Oh, and we’ve worked hard, we’ve scratched and clawed and invented and made, right? No, there’s a very real sense in which we have been given everything we have. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). And if we have prioritized God’s kingdom and His righteousness, then these things have been “added to” us. (Matthew 6:33)
Now we can answer “where we got this,” so next we ask, “How stirred is my spirit? How willingly do I give for the Lord’s service?”
Lord's Supper: Where Did You Get That?
When we read the book of Hebrews - or perhaps if we can simply rightly thinks about the damage that human sin causes to a human soul - we can know that
4 It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
5 Therefore, when [Jesus] came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come … To do Your will, O God.’”
… 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:4-10)The body of Jesus was nothing amazing to look at (Isaiah 53:2, “He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.”), but it was perfectly arranged, prepared, for God to dwell in human flesh. (John 1:14)Thankfully, Jesus did not cling to that body (as we often do) or try to unduly prolong its life. He did not even try to protect it from all harm. Rather, He used His body as it was intended to be, a tool to accomplish God’s will. When He gave His body to be tortured and abused and torn and killed, He was very pointedly using it for God’s will:
Colossians 1:21 You, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel….
Where did you get your body? As God asked Moses when Moses said, “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue,” “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11) The Lord has made each of our bodies and He knows what we can do with them (which means He also recognizes when we, like Moses, try to make excuses).
We have answered where we got this body, so now let’s ask ourselves, “Am I using the body God has given me to do His will?” His purpose - His will, His reason - for giving us a body is to temporarily house our spirits while we undergo a testing of our spirit. (Deuteronomy 8:2; 13:3; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalm 7:9; Proverbs 17:3; Ecclesiastes 3:18; Jeremiah 11:20; 12:3; 17:10; 20:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:4)
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV) Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
(STAND TO ONE SIDE)
The work of each individual Christian includes:
- Providing for my family (1 Tim. 5:8), visiting the lonely, the needy, and the down-trodden (Matt. 25:35-36; James 1:26-27), and
- Doing good to all men (Gal. 6:10).
(STAND TO THE OTHER SIDE)
The work of the church includes:In other words, the work of the church is building up each other (1 Cor. 14:26) through assembling (Heb. 10:24-25) and greeting one another (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26), and carrying out the above activities.
- Worshipping God, which includes the Lord's Supper (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:18, 20, 33), prayers (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 2:8) and singing (1 Pet. 2:9; Heb. 2:12)
- Preaching & Teaching (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 1 Tim. 3:15) which includes the use of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19), and
- Meeting each other's (and all other Christians') physical needs (Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:34-35; Acts 6:1; etc.)
(STAND TO ONE SIDE)
Therefore, the use of my personal funds is for:
- Providing for my family and
- Doing every possible good work (clinics & hospitals, schools & colleges, gymnasiums & coliseums, nursing homes & orphanages, feeding the poor, trying to effect political changes, etc.)
(STAND TO THE OTHER SIDE)
While the use of the treasury is for:
- Building up each other (1 Cor. 14:26) through assembling, etc.
- Preaching & Teaching by preachers and elders (Phil. 4:15; 1 Cor. 9:14; 1 Tim. 5:17), and
- Meeting each other's (and all other Christians') physical needs, including for “widows indeed” (Acts 4:34-35; Acts 11:29-30; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; 1 Tim. 5:9; etc.)
Lord's Supper: Everything in Its Place
Rom 14:17 The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
That serves as a general principle, teaching us that the kingdom of God is primarily a spiritual concern. This principle should guide our activities and help us keep everything in its place. Unfortunately, many churches have lost sight of the spiritual and have begun to focus on the physical, the carnal.
The church in Corinth had the same problem in the days of the apostle Paul. For example, in correcting them regarding their abuses of the Lord’s Supper, he asks,
1 Corinthians 11:22 Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God....
Then he commands,
:33 Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home,
His instructions are consistent with the pattern from Acts 2:
:42 [The first Christians] devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ... 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
They did “church things at church” and “home things at home.”
We show respect to the Lord and to His church by keeping everything in its place. THIS, the Lord’s Supper, is the time for spiritual activity, a spiritual eating, a ritual meal. We take these elements together to remind us of our Lord's sacrifice ... to proclaim His death... to prompt us to examine ourselves. As such, it becomes a great motivator to strive toward more focused and purer spiritual service.
Proverbs 6:16, 18 One of the abominations the Lord hates is “A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil”. There was a brother in Christ in TX who was an alcoholic. He would sit in church planning to visit the bars as soon as church was out. And he came to our pot lucks and ate with us (before we were aware of his lack of repentance)!
But Jesus “sat down with the twelve” (Matthew 26:20) “as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.” 19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?” (Mark 14:18-19) But Judas had already gone “to the chief priests to betray Him to them (Mark 14:10) and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” (Matthew 26:15) And “they were glad” (Mark 14:11) and “counted out to him 30 pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him." (Matthew 26:15-16)
1 Corinthians 11:26 “as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”
What is our motivation for taking this supper? Taking it doesn't forgive us. (The conditions for forgiving a Christian are repentance and confession of the sin to God - Acts 8; 1 John 1). Examine yourself - your heart - and accept the Lord's chastening. Then discern His body and proclaim His death. This will strengthen us and help us avoid being condemned with the world.
Lord's Supper: Examine Your Heart
Proverbs 17:3 “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.” If you want to remove the unwanted elements from your heart, give it to the Lord. He already sees it all!
Ps. 101:1 (by David) “To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. 2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. 4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.
Luke 19:6 Zacchaeus climbed a tree just to see Jesus. When Jesus said to him, “Today I must stay at your house,” he “made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. … 8 Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor.”
Oh, when will He come to me?!The Lord is now coming to your house and to mine. We’ll have to make some sacrifices in order to treat Him properly, and He’s expecting to be received with joy.Psalm 7:9 “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds."
2 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
In 1 Chronicles 29:3, we read that King David gave an amazing amount for the temple, even from his personal, special supply, "because," he said, "I have set my affection on the house of my God." Then the people followed his example and gave generously, as well. Then they "rejoiced because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord." (v. 9)
Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-18:
Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: "Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
14 "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 16 O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.
17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness . In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things , and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. 18 O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.
The churches of Macedonia first "gave themselves to the Lord." (2 Corinthians 8:5) and this is in keeping with what Paul explained to them later in that letter: "I do not seek yours, but you. (2 Corinthians 12:14 - emphasis added, InkMan)
Lord's Supper: Jesus offered Himself for us from a willing heart.
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’” -- Hebrews 10:5-75 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. -- Philippians 2:5-11
(From a contributing author) The first true use of the term "deep pockets" appears in the early 1950s but probably not in the way we use the term today. The phrase was originally, “deep pockets, short arms”. The idea was of a miser, and probably wealthy miser, who had deep pockets but his arms were too short to reach down to the bottom of those pockets to use the money at the bottom of those pockets.
Our God has deep pockets, not only in the ability to cover the debt of our sins, but also with the blessings He bestows upon us. I think it is fairly safe to say that we have deep pockets as well, especially when we are compared to our brothers and sisters that we have helped in Africa, and Central and South America.
Think on this: How short or long are your arms?
Lord's Supper: Deep Pockets
A song we sing has a good phrase at the beginning and in the chorus: “the depth and the riches….” We commonly think of depth as a dimension, along with height and width and breadth, but riches is different. As I thought about this phrase recently, I started to down a path to try to better comprehend this phrase.
First, I searched for passages using both “depth” and “riches” and found exactly one.
Romans 11:33 (ESV) Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways.
Searching for passages with “depth and grace” or “riches and grace” led me to the book of Ephesians where several verses helped to better understand the concept.
Eph 1:7-10 (ESV) 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Eph 2:4-8 (ESV) 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
Eph 3:7-10 (ESV) 7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Eph 3:14-19 (ESV) 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
I would like to sum up the thoughts in both the song and in these passages this way, God has deep pockets of grace and love for us. Those deep pockets can cover my sins completely as well as those of the whole world. His deep pockets are beyond measure, in fact infinite in nature as the song’s third verse says.
O the depth and the riches of God's saving grace Flowing down from the cross for me! There the debt for my sins by the Savior was paid In His suffering on Calvary!
O what marvelous mercy, what infinite love! What immeasurable grace I see! By His blood I am cleansed; I am happy and free Through His suffering on Calvary!
Chorus: O the riches and depth of such wonderful love, Flowing boundless and full and free! And the debt on the cross for my sins was all paid In His suffering on Calvary!
Have you ever given something - perhaps something valuable - to someone only to then see them waste it?
The extravagantly wasteful son (a.k.a, the prodigal son), after blowing his entire inheritance, said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” Luke 15:18-19
When Jacob left Laban’s house, he had two wives, two female servants, eleven sons, and he was a rich man: oxen, donkeys, flocks, herds, camels, and male and female servants. To give you some idea of the greatness of his possessions, he picked
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals….
as a gift for his brother (for reasons which we won’t go into here)! (Genesis 32:14-15) and divided his possessions into two groups and prayed,
“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac… 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.” Genesis 32:9-10
'He started his journey with the clothes on his back, and the Lord blessed him, both physically and spiritually.
So here we are. Unworthy of God’s mercies and blessings. Likely wasteful of at least some of the riches He has given us.
But Jacob “took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother”. I imagine him going through his flocks and herds and gathering everything he could. And that was just a part - only a fraction! - of his blessings!
What has God given you in His mercies? What has come to your hand as a present for Him?
Lord's Supper: Unworthy and Unworthy Manner
John the Baptizer famously referred to Jesus as “One … who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.” Mark 1:7
The centurion who sought healing for his servant said to Jesus, “I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.” Luke 7:6-7
Are we worthy to approach Jesus? …to invite Him under our roof? Are we worthy to untie His shoes? I’m not as committed or as bold as John was. I’m not as pious or full of faith as that centurion. So, no, I’m not worthy.
Am I worthy, then, to sit around this table? Even asking that question sounds foolish and ignorant and perhaps even prideful.
No, we’re not worthy of His sacrifice. He extended His grace while we were sinners, enemies, dead in sin. So no one is worthy to take this supper! He has shown us mercy and cleansed us and adopted us. And now we are commanded to take it! “Do this…” Not taking it is not an option; it’s no solution.
Although we are not worthy, we can behave in a worthy manner.
walk worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1), walk worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10), walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory (2 Thessalonians 2:12); let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:7)
And that needs to be our focus as we partake. It’s not about our worthiness, but rather the worthy manner in which we partake:
Whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:27
What constitutes a “worthy manner”? Examine yourself. Repent, as needed. Thank God for His mercy. Remember His great sacrifices. And take this with all reverence.
Then hold on to the hope “that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God” (2 Thessalonians 1:5). Jesus said there were “a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4
That’s our great hope and what brings us together this day to break the bread.
We give money into the church treasury for 3 basic reasons:
To relieve the needs of the members (benevolence);
To spread the gospel (evangelism);
To build up the believers (edification).We can't know the full situation of the needy, and we sure can't know their hearts. But that's not ours to judge!
We won't know everything that a preacher might ever think or say, but, after we are as careful as we feel we should be in recommending him, we give money to support him, anyway.
Sometimes we will give, and the money will not be spent exactly like we would've spent it. We can be thankful for wise elders who are using their best judgment as to how to carry out the Lord's work according to scriptural priorities.
We give anyway, because these are truly God's "good works," and because the apostles have given us instruction and a pattern. They taught based on the authority of the Holy Spirit and said to do it. Paul "gave orders" to the churches of Galatia and also told the Corinthians to do the same. The believers then contributed "as they prospered" and "as they purposed in [their] hearts."
So let's give cheerfully and continue to pray that the money will have maximum effectiveness in the kingdom and be a blessing to those who receive it.
Lord's Supper: God Gave, Anyway.
Before He became flesh and dwelt among us, the one we know as "Jesus" was "the Word," deity Himself. He, along with the Father, created Adam and Eve and watched as they used their free will to believe a lie and violate God's instructions.
He and the Holy Spirit were grieved the time the whole world turned evil in the days of Noah.
"The Rock" from which the Israelites drank "was Christ," but Israel grumbled and rebelled from day 1.
The Lord saw how even sending Israel into captivity only corrected one of their many sins (i.e., idolatry).
Jesus witnessed how Jerusalem was rejecting Him, and He lamented.
He understood that people would generally love pleasure rather than love the truth.
He foresaw that evil men and imposters would grow from bad to worse and that the love of many would grow cold
He knew that many would find the easy way to destruction and that relatively few would find the way to life
But He gave Himself, anyway.
God DOES know our hearts, and He gives us free will, anyway!
Jesus gave Himself, anyway, and gave us a chance to accept salvation on His terms and enter His kingdom.
Thank God, even today, in His longsuffering, He still gives us time to repent.
Let's examine ourselves as we take the Lord's Supper and take maximum advantage of His great sacrifice.
Our contribution to the church’s treasury should be purposeful and controlled. Peter teaches us (on the occasion of Ananias’s and Sapphira’s attempted deception, that we have full control over our possessions.
Acts 5:4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control?
The apostle Paul likewise teaches us that it our heart that decides the amount, and our heart that controls our emotion.
2 Cor. 9:7 Let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
In this congregation, we’re working hard to edify ourselves, we have fellowship with good men who preach the gospel here and abroad, and we’re helping needy saints as we have opportunity. If you have any questions about our use of the funds, please speak with the elders. In the meantime, I hope this quick reminder helps you be a cheerful giver.
Lord's Supper: Purposeful and Under Control
Physical deaths fall into two categories, generally speaking: Natural and Unnatural. The term “natural” basically refers to death from disease or old age, and “unnatural” is used when some outside force interrupts those natural processes, as in the case of an accident or a murder. On the surface, Jesus’s death appeared to be an execution carried out by crucifixion, so it was an “unnatural” death. On closer examination, three aspects of His death make it even more unnatural. It was … Planned, Predicted, and Purposeful.
Planned. Jesus’s death was part of “the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:10). So,
Heb. 10:5 When He came into the world, He said: … 7 … ‘Behold, I have come … To do Your will, O God.’ ”
This refers to taking away the first (covenant, see 9:1, 15, 18) that He may establish the second” and
sanctifying us “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Predicted. Three times (Matt. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19), Jesus foretold the events surrounding his crucifixion to His disciples with great specificity. For example,
Matt. 20:28 We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.
No ordinary person can predict his or her own death with such specificity when many of the details depend on the decisions of other people!
Purposeful.
Heb. 9:27 As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.
But Jesus's physical death was not simply “on purpose” and done “to accomplish a certain purpose.” It was fully under His control. He said,
John 10:17 My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.
When He died on the cross, Matthew says,
Matt. 27:50 Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Luke tells us that “when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ”” (Luke 23:46) Having said this, He breathed His last.
Mark tells us that “when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”” (Mark 15:39)
These characteristics put Jesus’s death into a category all by itself.
Our reaction. We consider unnatural deaths to be especially sorrowful, particularly tragic.
John 16:20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. … 22 … You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
His disciples rejoiced when they saw him after His resurrection (Luke 24:41) and “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” after His ascension (Luke 24:52). In our mind’s eye, we join with the “great multitude of the people” who followed Jesus to Golgotha. We, like the women, also “mourn and lament Him” (Luke 23:37). But we also read about the plan, we hear the predictions, and we understand the purpose and control that was shown in Jesus’s physical death. So we can rejoice with those disciples and share in their eager anticipation of His return. Until that day, we remember and proclaim His death by partaking of these elements.
A "cross reference" is an editor's note directing the reader to a related passage. The ultimate “cross reference” is the reference Jesus made from the cross to Psalm 22.
He of whom it was said, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:11-12) now feels the desperation of feeling abandoned by God. Read Psalm 22:1-2.
But he acknowledges that God is good and trusts that He will deliver. Read vv. 3-4.
The ridicule, fulfilled by the Jewish leaders mocking Jesus on the cross, is predicted in vv. 6-8.
But God had been the only hope of his life (and should be of our lives). Read vv. 9-11.
The brutality of crucifixion, centuries before it was practiced — and it was never practiced by Jews —and before it was fulfilled by the Romans on Golgotha, is described in vv. 12-16 as a man is surrounded by strong bulls, a raging lion, and a pack of wild dogs. These enemies are evil men who proceeded to fulfill two prophecies from this psalm!
“16 A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.”Even so, he still appealed to God for help. Read vv. 19-21a.
When Jesus went to the cross, He knew from Scripture that all these feelings and this barbaric torture awaited Him.
The Collection: Psalm 22
The answer came from God, not in deliverance from the cross in Jesus’s case, but in physical resurrection! The rest of the psalm describes the praise due Him because of His answer. Similarly, God offers us a spiritual rescue, and we, too, owe Him our praise.
The NKJV seems to best capture the dramatic shift in tone that occurs in the middle of the psalm. Verse 21b reads,
“21 Save me from the lion’s mouth; save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen!”Read vv. 22-31.
What has God done for you? How do you express your appreciation? Stand in awe of Him. Pay any vows you make. Come and worship. Praise Him to your generation and to every generation to come.
There are two kinds of people: generous and selfish. In Mexico, for example, my parents and I met a family living in a shack. When we were ready to leave, they gave us something of theirs, a little doll. Giving a gift to a guest they had never met before. Nice!
How many times has someone come to my house and thought,
“I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, … 45 You gave Me no kiss,… 46 You did not anoint My head with oil…. (Matthew 25:44-46)
I tend to get wrapped up in thinking I need to provide for my own, and I start holding tightly to my stuff. But I can’t keep my stuff forever.
I need to practice what I preach. A brother in Tennessee told me, “Bill Clinton is going to put food on our table!” I told him, “The Lord puts food on our table. Even in modern times, we need to vote (when possible) for people who do not align themselves with groups that explicitly support abominable behavior. (That’s not a political statement; it’s a moral one. It applies to my state association of Speech Therapists, too!)
Do I put food on my own table, or does the Lord? We are on top of the world when it comes to resources and material goods. If we don’t think so, it’s because we’re too busy comparing our 1/2-million dollar mansions to the million-dollar mansions we drive past on the way to work. Let’s remember who puts food on our table and be generous with our money. There are so many Christians who would be — and ARE — thankful for what we share with them.
Lord's Supper: Forever
Paul said to Philemon concerning Onesimus, his slave who ran away but then came to know Jesus,
“Perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever.” (Philemon 1:15)
What would you give to guarantee a forever relationship?
Romans 6:9 Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. Unlike others who were raised from the dead, and would physically die again some day, Jesus arose, then ascended to God’s right hand, never to die again.
Romans 14:9 To this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
He’s “been there, done that.” He rules the living and dead, knowing that, as He taught the Sadducees, the people we know to be dead still exist and will rise again.
Hebrews 7:15 (Our) priest 16 ... has come, ... according to the power of an endless life.... 24 He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.
That’s the power He offers US: to rise again some day, never to die again. As we partake, let’s ask ask ourselves if we really believe what Jesus told Martha:
John 11:26 Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
There are brothers and sisters in various countries who walk 2 ½ hours to church or ride an animal for 3 hours! For most people in the United States, our world is easy. We only have “1st-world problems.”
In 2022, we in AL complain about gas at $4.49/gallon. Inflation is bad; it has no silver lining. But gas is $5.79 or $6.29 in CA! And $7 or $8 in Zimbabwe!
- Are we trying to get ahead in this life? Is that our focus?
- Will we never be content?
- Will we never have enough toys?
We drive around the block to a neighborhood Walmart for anything. Some in Zimbabwe drive 40 miles on bad roads to find corn meal... if they have vehicle. (Insert sermon about not complaining.)
Jesus said, “the poor you have with you always,” (John 12:8), which means we have – not guilt – opportunity always. As a congregation and as individuals, opportunities abound.
- Let’s each be “working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” (Eph. 4:28)
- Gal. 6:9 Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Lord's Supper: Perspective
Say! Listen to our wondrous story: We were counted once among the lost; Yet One came down from heaven's glory, Saving us … saving us at awful cost.
Who saved us from eternal loss? Who, except God’s Son upon the cross!
What did He do? He died for you!
No angel could have taken His place, Even if the highest of the high were he;The loved One on the cross … was One of the Godhead three!
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Jesus is God, our Creator, and He consistently portrayed Himself as God. When Jesus healed a man on the Jewish Sabbath, some Jews sought to kill Him.
John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath [in their view, GC], but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 8:58 Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.
That “wondrous story” includes Jesus coming down from heaven’s glory and dying on the cross.
Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery* to be equal with God,
ESV, “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,” other versions “to cling to.”
7 but made Himself of no reputation (ESV, “emptied Himself”), taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Greek word for “robbery” is seldom used (only once, here, in Scripture). W.E.Vine has an interesting (nerdy) discussion of two possible ways to understand the passage.
1. Because He was subsisting in the essential form of God, did not regard it as any usurpation (or robbery, GC) that He was on an equality of glory and majesty with God, but yet emptied Himself of that coequal glory… ‘
(in other words, His attitude toward how He had gotten to that state, GC)2. Although He was subsisting in the essential form of God, yet did not regard His being on an equality of glory and majesty with God as a prize and a treasure to be held fast, but emptied himself thereof."
(in other words, His attitude toward remaining in that state, GC)
- He was willing to change His form. Are we willing to change our mind?
- He was willing to empty Himself. Are we willing to give up some momentary pleasures to worship and serve Him?
- He died an agonizing death. Are we willing to die to our selfish selves, to crucify our passions and desires?
The sacrifice for all sins of all people was only possible by the sinless Son of God. No angel could His place have taken.
Where is He now? In heaven, interceding.
What do you think He’s praying on your behalf?
- That you’ll obey the gospel?
- That you’ll deepen your love for Him?
- That you’ll increase your understanding of His will?
- That you’ll become more serious and focused about spiritual things?
- That you’ll strengthen your commitment to live for Him?
- That you’ll face temptation better/differently this week?
Collection: Visitors, thank you for worshiping with us. We do not expect you to give to this collection. Your presence is contribution enough. If you wish to put something in the plate, we'd be happy to get your visitor card so we can send you a note of appreciation. Lord's Supper: Visitors,you may participate in this, if you feel comfortable doing so, or you may simply watch. Again, thank you for being here among us today.
God tests us weekly. He could take from us, but He asks us to do the giving. (2 Cor. 9:5)
We give "according to our means," or "as we have prospered" (1 Cor. 16:2).
Study 2 Corinthians 9 to see all the good done by the giving of the Corinthians: Stirring up others, v. 2; allowing God to work in our lives for blessing, vv. 8-10; thanksgiving to God, vv. 11-12; giving glory to God, v. 13; supplying the needs of the saints, v. 12; bonds of love and mutual prayers, v. 14.
With great blessing comes great responsibility. (Luke 12:33-34, 48) Apply this also to the great spiritual blessings we have in Christ when commenting at the Lord's table.
Written by Ink Man
Quotes are from the English Standard Version or the New King James Version of the Bible.
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